The Return of Little Big Man by Thomas Berger

At the end of Little Big Man, Jack’s supposed death at age 111 cut short his tale. A newly discovered manuscript, however, reveals that Jack had faked his death to get out of his publishing contract, and he now picks up the story of his extraordinarily action-packed life.

Following on from ‘Little Big Man’, Jack Crabb continues the story of his amazing life but not before faking his own death to get out of his publishing contract.

The story begins where ‘Little Big Man’ finished, having survived the battle of Little Bighorn and spending some time with his Cheyenne family he heads into the West to find his next adventure where again he meets various historical figures such as The Earp Brothers, Bat Masterton, Wild Bill Hickok and Annie Oakley and becomes part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and meets Sitting Bull, a war chief of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux tribe.

‘The Return of Little Big Man’ is an excellent read which I enjoyed, I loved reading about Jack’s many encounters and his capacity for survival, the reason for this he claims is because he is not a ‘thinker’. Jack is older in ‘The Return of Little Big Man’ and wiser, and still in some ways trying to find his place in the world, he thinks of himself as a white man and a Cheyenne Indian, because he has experienced both ways of lives, he uses this to his advantage.

Thomas Berger has created a character in Jack Crabb who is realistic and somewhat fantastical too, Jack is fictional but you cannot help wishing that he was a real person because Jack is definitely a memorable individual.

The ending is left open with the promise of more stories from Jack.

A well written,memorable book with the one and only Mr Jack Crabb, also known as Little Big Man.